Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1199

As the glow quickly faded from the eyes of Michael's doppelganger, the intensity of the battle escalated. Michael and his doppelganger engaged in a ferocious duel, their dual swords clashing in a deadly dance of steel and skill. Simultaneously, Gaya and her doppelganger squared off in their own battle, each wielding crossbows with lethal precision.

Michael moved with incredible agility, his swords slicing through the air as he matched his doppelganger's every move. The sound of their swords clashing rang out, a testament to their equal prowess. "You may look like me, but you'll never be me!" Michael calmly said, driving his swords forward in a series of swift, calculated strikes.

His doppelganger mirrored his actions perfectly, countering each attack with an identical move. The two figures moved in perfect synchronization, their swords a blur of motion.

Meanwhile, Gaya and her doppelganger engaged in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, firing and dodging bolts. Gaya's fingers worked quickly to reload her crossbow, each shot aimed with deadly accuracy. "I fucking hate this," Gaya shouted, releasing a bolt that narrowly missed her doppelganger.

The doppelganger, not to be outdone, returned fire with equal speed and precision. The two women moved gracefully, their movements a blend of agility and finesse.

On the other hand, the onlookers watched in awe, their earlier panic replaced by fascination. "I've never seen anything like this," one adventurer whispered, his eyes wide with amazement.

"It's like they're fighting their shadows," another remarked, captivated by the spectacle.

As the battles raged on, Michael and Gaya skillfully kept the doppelgangers from advancing towards the other adventurers, effectively protecting them from further harm.

"They're not just fighting for themselves, they're keeping us safe too," an elf observed, his voice filled with gratitude and respect.

In the midst of the intense battle, Gaya and her doppelganger exchanged rapid-fire crossbow bolts. With each pull of the trigger, bolts whizzed through the air, their paths intertwining and colliding mid-flight, shattering into splinters.

Gaya executed a series of rolls and flips, evading incoming bolts. Each time she landed, she fired back instantly, her bolts aimed with precision. Her doppelganger matched her agility, mirroring her acrobatics with fluid, ghostly grace.

Meanwhile, Michael engaged his doppelganger in a high-speed melee. He spun, his swords extended, aiming to catch the doppelganger off-guard. The doppelganger copied Michael's move as their blades created arcs of blackness in the air. Michael feinted to the left, then lunged right, but his doppelganger anticipated every move, their swords clashing with a metallic ring.

"Fuck, they're too in sync!" Gaya cursed as she reloaded, ducking under a bolt from her doppelganger.

In the midst of the chaos, it was evident that Michael and Gaya's actions, while protective, were not intentionally so. They were tactically maneuvering, biding their time, trying to formulate a plan to outwit their doppelgangers.

Every time Michael made a strategic move to advance on Gaya's doppelganger, his own doppelganger intensified its assault, preventing him from getting too close. The doppelganger's relentless attacks forced Michael to focus on defense, hindering his ability to aid Gaya.

Meanwhile, the onlookers watched in a mix of awe and tension. "These doppelgangers are like unstoppable forces," one adventurer muttered, his eyes glued to the battle.

"Can't believe these two holding their own against their doppelgangers!" another exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

As the fight continued, Michael and Gaya's frustration grew. "We need a new plan, this isn't working!" Gaya shouted, narrowly dodging a bolt and firing back in one fluid motion.

"We have to break their rhythm," Michael yelled back, parrying a swift strike from his doppelganger and counterattacking with a series of quick jabs.

The battle was a mesmerizing display of skill, but it was clear that Michael and Gaya needed to outsmart their doppelgangers with more than just physical prowess. As the battle continued, Michael was acutely aware that using his Dark Flames might turn the tide in their favor. He knew that the doppelganger likely couldn't replicate a primordial flame. However, he intentionally held back, choosing not to reveal this trump card. He knew maintaining some secrets could be crucial in a battle where every move was mirrored.

Aware that time was of the essence and Gaya might soon be overwhelmed by her doppelganger, Michael knew he needed to act fast and create an opportunity. He quickly devised a plan, one that required a momentary sacrifice.

In a split-second decision, Michael deliberately slowed his movements, allowing his doppelganger to seize the advantage. The doppelganger lunged forward, its sword piercing through Michael's shoulder. A sharp pain shot through him, but he suppressed any reaction, focusing on his plan.

As his doppelganger was momentarily occupied with the thrust, Michael seized the opportunity. "Ignitia," Ignoring the pain, he quickly fired a bolt of black lightning. The spell was cast so suddenly that his doppelganger had no time to react.

Crackling with intense energy, the black lightning bolt shot toward Gaya's doppelganger. It struck her mid-air, the sheer force of the impact turning her form back into water. She disintegrated with a hiss and a splash, her watery essence cascading back into the pond.

"He killed her!" one exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of horror and admiration.

"Did you see that lightning? What kind of spell was that?" another whispered, intrigued by the unfamiliar powerful spell.

Realizing what Michael had done, Gaya turned to her wounded husband. "Are you okay?" she called out, ready to provide support.

Michael, pulling the sword from his shoulder with a grimace, nodded. "I'll be fine. We needed to break the pattern," he replied, his voice strained but determined.

Fueled by a mix of concern for Michael and anger towards his doppelganger, Gaya launched a rapid assault. She fired bolt after bolt from her crossbow, each tipped with a freezing agent, aiming to immobilize the doppelganger.

Meanwhile, Michael felt the healing effects of the healing potion injected into his bloodstream by the APD. However, he noticed something unsettling – his doppelganger seemed unfazed by Gaya's freezing bolts, a stark contrast to their earlier effectiveness.

"This one's tougher than the one I first killed," Michael realized, his mind racing to formulate a new strategy.

Seeing her attacks having no effect, Gaya grew increasingly frustrated. "Damn it, why won't you fucking freeze!" she shouted, cursing at the doppelganger as her bolts continued to prove ineffective.

Quickly seizing the moment, Michael's doppelganger resumed its attack, closing the distance between them with a sudden burst of speed. The two engaged once again in a fierce melee, their swords clashing with renewed intensity.

The doppelganger's movements were swift and precise, mirroring Michael's combat style but with an added layer of aggression and resilience. Michael parried and dodged, his mind working overtime to find an opening, a weakness in this seemingly stronger version of himself.

The adventurers watched the renewed battle with a mix of awe and anxiety. "He's still fighting, but that doppelganger... it's like fighting a shadow," one remarked.

"Can they really beat it?" another whispered, doubt creeping into his voice.

When Gaya noticed the crowd of adventurers had ceased their attacks and were now merely spectators to the intense battle, felt a surge of anger. "You assholes need to jump in!" she shouted at them, her voice laced with frustration and urgency. "Or when we die, you're next!"

Her words seemed to snap some of the adventurers out of their trance. "Damn, she is right,"

"We need to gang up on him!"

A couple of them quickly nodded in agreement, realizing the gravity of the situation. They readied their weapons and spells, joining the fray to gang up on Michael's doppelganger.

. "Luminous Arcanum!" An elf mage stepped forward and cast a spell, releasing a beam of bright light that shot towards the doppelganger. The light illuminated the hall, but the doppelganger nimbly dodged the beam, moving with a speed that matched Michael's.

A burly warrior, wielding a large hammer, charged at the doppelganger. "DIE!" he roared, swinging his hammer with a mighty force. The doppelganger parried the blow with its sword, the clash sending sparks flying.

Seizing the moment, Gaya fired another bolt, this time aiming for the doppelganger's leg. The bolt struck, but the doppelganger's reflexes were too quick, and it managed to sidestep the attack, barely missing the projectile.

"Keep pressing!" Michael shouted, engaging the doppelganger with a flurry of sword strikes. His blades moved in a blur, each strike precise and calculated. The doppelganger matched his every move, their swords ringing out in the hall.

On the other hand, a dwarf, seeing an opening, attempted a sneak attack. "Take this!" he yelled, lunging forward with his dagger. The doppelganger, however, seemed to anticipate the move, turning just in time to block the attack with its arm.

The battle became a chaotic melee, with spells and blows being exchanged rapidly. "Damn, it's like fighting a mirror!" one of the warriors exclaimed, panting from the exertion.

"We can't let up!" Gaya yelled, reloading her crossbow. "It's learning from every move we make!"

As the battle intensified, it became obvious that even a doppelganger armed solely with Michael's raw combat prowess was insanely powerful. Despite giving their all, the adventurers and Gaya, found themselves struggling to land even a single effective blow against it. The doppelganger's ability to mirror Michael's fighting style made it nearly invincible in hand-to-hand combat, causing the group to sweat and strain under the effort.

Witnessing this, Michael couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. The clear gap in power between him and the adventurers highlighted the stark difference between a god like him and mere mortals.